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Aug 7, 2021 - Sports

7. TikTok wins the Olympics

Data: Team USA; Chart: Connor Rothschild and Danielle Alberti/Axios
Data: Team USA; Chart: Connor Rothschild and Danielle Alberti/Axios

TikTok has become the breakout media platform during this year's Olympic Games, boosted by its heavy use by young athletes.

Why it matters: Unlike the social media apps that came before it, TikTok's algorithm is built so that almost any person can go viral overnight. No other medium has ever given athletes, particularly ones that weren't famous before, that same level of instant exposure.

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